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Macron urges Gulf heads to defuse crisis

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Qatar to engage in dialogue and defuse the crisis which has pitted Doha against its Gulf neighbours.
Macron spoke separately with Qatari ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Saudi King Salman and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and “invited all parties to pursue dialogue,” Macron’s office said.
Saudi Arabia and allies including the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt on Monday cut diplomatic ties with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member Qatar over claims that Doha supports extremism.
Qatar strongly denies the allegations. The Saudi-led alliance has imposed an economic blockade on Qatar and called on the small gas-rich state to change its policies and to halt its alleged support to extremist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood and the Palestinian Hamas movement.—Agencies